Virginia Leader Apologizes for Remark on Inquiry

By B. DRUMMOND AYRES Jr.,

Published: July 8, 1991

WASHINGTON, July 7—
Gov. L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia apologized today for "misleading" the press and the public about whether he had ordered a police investigation of Senator Charles S. Robb.

The Governor said that when he denied several weeks ago that he knew anything about any investigation he was denying only that he had ordered an investigation into the private life of Mr. Robb, his chief Democratic rival in Virginia politics.

In fact, Mr. Wilder said, he had asked an aide to determine what the Virginia State Police were doing about reports that some of Mr. Robb's aides had threatened people who were talking to reporters about rumors of drug use and womanizing by the Senator.

To draw that fine a distinction on the issue, Mr. Wilder said today in an appearance on the NBC News program "Meet the Press," had led to a misunderstanding among members of the press and the public and had raised questions about his credibility.

"That totally is misleading," the Governor said. "To the extent that they were misled, I do it now: I apologize."

It was the second apology to be made publicly by Mr. Wilder in a week.

Last Wednesday, he apologized for having suggested the day before that Judge Clarence Thomas, President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court, should face sharp questioning about his views on abortion because of a long affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Wilder said he was sorry "if anyone was offended" by his suggestion.

Today, he said he believed that Judge Thomas was "eminently qualified" to be a nominee for the Court, but he refused to say whether he thought Judge Thomas's nomination should be confirmed. As for Judge Thomas's religion, Mr. Wilder said, "that shouldn't be a badge of consideration at all."

Other than to answer questions about the state police investigation and how it related to Mr. Robb, Mr. Wilder said nothing today about the Senator, who has also been mentioned as a possible 1992 Presidential candidate.

The two men have exchanged bitter accusations in recent weeks. Mr. Robb has asserted that Mr. Wilder ordered the state police to investigate his private life, and Mr. Wilder has said the Senator obtained tapes of his private telephone conversations.

Mr. Robb has acknowledged that a tape of a phone conversation in which Mr. Wilder discussed the Senator's personal life had been kept in his office at one time. But after insisting that he did not know the origin of the tape, Mr. Robb said he knew that an aide had brought the tape to his office but that he did not know how the aide had obtained it.